2026 ParkScore® Report:
Economic Benefit Studies
The Undeniable ROI of Community Parks and Green Spaces
Parks deliver undeniable returns. For this year’s report, Trust for Public Land reviewed its economic benefit studies from 11 of the country’s 100 most populous cities and found that—in big U.S. cities—for every $1 public agencies spend on parks and recreation (capital and operating) each year, communities get about $3 in annual benefits, at least.
Parks are like superfoods for cities, enabling behaviors that improve public health and lower healthcare costs, creating greater flood resilience, generating consumer value, spurring economic development, and driving philanthropic activity and civic engagement.
But here’s the thing: None of those benefits comes to the party alone. They show up in force, delivering multiple, complementing, and overlapping outcomes that are far greater than the sum of their parts.
These economic benefit studies are among thousands that demonstrate the far-reaching collateral improvements a single, local green space can bring to a community. Explore the links below to dive into the analyses behind the new report’s big takeaway.
| City | State | Year Published | Population | Density* | ParkScore Rank** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | WA | 2011 | 616,627 | High | 9 |
| Virginia Beach | VA | 2011 | 433,575 | Low | 7 |
| San Francisco | CA | 2014 | 825,863 | High | 3 |
| San Jose | CA | 2016 | 1,015,785 | Medium-High | 31 |
| Tucson | AZ | 2016 | 537,532 | Low | 83 |
| Los Angeles | CA | 2017 | 3,937,901 | High | 74 |
| Nashville | TN | 2017 | 653,352 | Low | 53 |
| New York | NY | 2022 | 8,377,150 | High | 10 |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | LA | 2023 | 456,781 | Low | 61 |
| Plano | TX | 2024 | 289,490 | Medium-Low | 16 |
| Colorado Springs | CO | 2025 | 502,097 | Low | 52 |
*Density categories: High (11+ residents per acre land), Medium-High (7-11 residents/acre), Medium-Low (4-7 residents/acre), Low (<4 residents/acre).
**ParkScore Rank represents each city’s rank in the ParkScore index the year of the study’s publication. From 2016 to 2026, we have ranked 100 cities (1 is high). 2012 ranks are provided for Seattle and Virginia Beach (40 cities ranked). 60 cities were ranked in 2014. Only the city of Baton Rouge is ranked, not the entire parish.
Trust for Public Land’s 2026 ParkScore® Report goes beyond rankings—it offers a powerful look at how parks are shaping the future of our communities. This year’s findings reveal that parks provide an undeniable return on investment: every $1 invested in parks and recreation returns, on average, at least $3 in local economic benefits each year. Explore the data, stories, and insights behind the top 100 park systems in the U.S.
